Incubator.



l. C. GRIESL.

:Neus/non.

, APPLICTION FILD AUG25| lgl. Lp Patented Fab. 26, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

z? 4%. "'Iit 1 h am 59 hl, .ml .i mu

www "elia-21;:

J. C. GRIESEL.

INCUBATOR.

APPLICATION FILED .IIL|G.25. i916.

Iwm mend Per. 26, ma.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

Allllillslflll y J'HN C. GRIESEL, `0]? POTTSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF 'lD CHARLES F. SCHLINTZ, 0F POTTSVILLE,PENNSYLVANIA.

INCUBATUR.

retreat.

`Specification of Letters Patent. Pat-@mitad EQU, 26, 1191i@ Applicationfiled August, 1916. Serial No. 116,879.

To all wkomz't may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOHN C. Grinsen, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pottsville, inthe county of Schuylkill `and `State ofPennsylvania, Ahave invented new and `useful Improvements in incubatore,of whichthe following is al specification. v

l Thisinvention relates to incubators,"and it has for its object to"produce an incubator of simple and improved construction, the operationof which will imitate, as nearly as possible, the incubation of eggs bya mother hen. n

A. further'object of the invention is to producev a simple and improvedincubator in which the top compartment containing the .heating apparatusmay be temporarily moved to one sideso as to temporarily eX- pose theeggs to the action'of the normal atmosphere much in the same manner ashappens when the hen leaves her nest for a short time vduring 'theperiod of incubation.

A. further object of the invention is to simplify and improvethe generalconstruction and arrangement of thedetailed parts of the device.

1With `these and other ends in view which will readily appear asthenature of the invention is'better understood, the same consists inthe improvedconstruction and novel arrangement and combination of^ partswhichwill be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

ln the `accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple andpreferred form of the invention, `it being, however, understood that nolimitation is necessarily madeV to the precise vstructural detailstherein exhibited, but that changes, alterationsand modificationswithinthe scope of the" claims maybe resorted to when desired.

1n the drawingsfw l Figure 1 is a side elevation of an incubatorconstructed in accordance with the invention, the top compartment beingshown in dotted lines moved to one side.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 3 -3 inFig.V2.

Fi'O. l is a transverse -sectionalview taken on the line'll-flfin Fig.`1. p p

Figy is al perspective vfdetailview' of the lamp bracket and relatedparts.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are` denoted by likecharacters of reference. The body of the incubator consists of asubstantially square or rectangular box having side members 15, frontand rear end walls -16, 17 and a bottom member 18. The

box is supported on legs :19 which are detachably connected therewith byscrews 20 to enable the legs to be readily detached and packed withinthe box for convenience in storage or shipment. The side members 15 areprovided withbrackets 21 extending forwardly of the front wall `16, saidside walls including the brackets 21 being provided on their inner faceswith cleats 22,- the top faces of which are disposed in the planegof thetop edge of the front wall member 16.

T he rear wall member is also provided with a cleat 23 correspondingwith the cleats22- The front wall member 16 is loosely supported betweenthe side members 15, the latter being ,provided witlrvertically disposeddetachablecleats 24; on' which the said front wall member abuts, `itbeingclamped securely in position by means of Aa clamp rod 25 extendingthrough the side wall'members and provided with a nut 26.

^This construction enables the Vfront wall memberto be readily detached,not only for the purpose of facilitating the cleaning of the interior ofthe incubator, but also to en ablethe movable parts of the incubator tobe assembled within the incubator box for convenience in storing andshipping `the Y same. Y

The top member ofV the rincubator consists of an inverted `box 27 whichis fitted between the side walls 1,5 so Yas torest slidably on thecleats-22, the opposed faces of the side members of the boX and of thecleats being provided with mterengaglng grooves proof joint. :For thesame purpose the opposed portionsoof the rear wall of the top member 27and the cleat 23-are rabbeted, as

The

with draw pulls or' handles 31 to enable lthe top member to' be slidforward by an operator standing between the brackets'21.

The interior of the incubator box has a and tongues 28, 29tomake asubstantially airclose'iitting lining 32 of material such as tar boardor heavy tar paper which is a poor conductor of heat and which is alsowater proof. A tray 33 having a foraminous bottom 44 of wireV fabric orthe like is arranged within the incubator box.

The top member 27 isprovided in the top portion thereof with a hingeddoor 35, said door being rabbetedinto the top member to produce asubstantially air-tight closure, said door being also provided with asight opening protected by two panes of glass 36, the same being spacedapart so as Vto produce'a dead air space therebetween.V The top memberis also lined throughout with material 37 which isa poor conductor ofheat, such as straw boardasbestos or the like. A'thermometer 38 issupported in a convenient-position to be visible through the A,rod 44has atits upper end a stop member 47 engaging the upper edge of the tube43,

' rodv 44 about its axis, the lamp supported on l the shelf 46 may bepositioned directly beneath the` tank139 'so as to heat the contentswhich latter isk provided with a notch 48. It will be readily seen thatbyswinging the thereof, or it may be swung t-o an out-of-theposition topermit" the contents ofthe tank tocoolwithout extinguishing the lamp.

rrrlhe notch 48 in the top edge of the tube 43 Vis so 4positioned as tobe engaged rby the stop member 47 whengthe lamp supporting shelf isdirectly beneath the.' tank, thus interlocking the parts andV preventingthe shelf from kaccidentally swinging to anoutof-thelway position. Ityis obviousthat by providingadditional notches, the lamp sup- 'portingshelf may besecured in various positions'. Y Y Y .Y

The top member of the device is provided l Vwith one or moreYventilators 51 of suitable construction to permit the necessarycirculation of air within the incubator.

In the use ofthe improved incubator, the incubator box is filled to thedepth of sevi eral inches with earth or clay 49, the same 'being'tightly packed within thebox. The egg tray is'then placed directly onthe earth, after which the top member is placed in position and the lampignited. It is `here deemed desirable to state that while a simple watercirculating system has been shown for the purpose ofheating the interiorof the incubator, any other heating 'system may be employed ifpreferred. The progress of the hatch may be inspected through the sightopening which also permits the thermometer to be seen, so that the heatmay be properly regulated. The eggs may be reached through the door 35when it shall be desired to turn or otherwise to manipulate the same. Atintervals during the period of incubation it is desirable to move thetop member temporarily to an out-of-the-way position where it will be'supported on the bracket members 21. This may be done without in theleast disturbing the eggs, and it is done for the purpose of subjectingthe eggs at intervals to the action of the normal atmosphere, such ashappens when the mother hen leaves her nest, the particular purposeofthe present invention being to imitate nature as closel as possibleinthe process of incubation. li is Jfor the same reason that a layer ofearth or clay is provided within the incubator' box. 1t may here bestated that it is preferred to lightly cover the earth with a layer vofhay or like material to resemble the nest as closely as possible, suchmaterial being shown at 50. Moisture in suiiicient quantity will besupplied by evaporation from the earth or clay 49, and it may be statedthat 1 have found it unnecessary to replenish the same more frequentlythan once for three or four hatches. rlhe impervious water proof lining32 protects the incubator box from injury by the moist earth or clay,which latter when it shall be found necessary to renew it may be easilyremoved by detaching the movable front wall of the incubator box.

The general construction of the improved incubator, as will be seen fromthe foregoing description, is extremely simple, and the device may befurnished at a very moderate expense, and I have also found by practicalexperience that a very large percentage of eggs will be successfullyhatched, and that .the chicks appear to be more healthy and vigorousthanthose hatched in incubators constructed on different principles.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is z* 1. Inan incubator, an incubator box comprising front, rear and side members,the side members being extended to form brackets that project forwardlyat the two sides of the box, in combination with a top member consistingof an inverted box supported slidably on the box member and on thebrackets extending therefrom.

2. In an incubator, an incubator' box comprising front, rear and sidemembers, the side members being extended to form brackets that projectforwardly at the two sides of the box, in vcombination with a top member consisting of an inverted box supported slidably on the box memberand on the l form forwardly'projecting brackets,V of a bracketsextending therefrom, the opposed faces of the ytop member and thesupport-y ing means therefor having interengaging grooves and tongues toproduce tight joints.

3. The combination With an incubator` boX having side members that areextended to top member consisting of an inverted box slidably supportedon the side members of the incubator box and on the brackets ex- 10tending therefrom, and a heating apparatus carried by said top member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

- JOHN C. GRIESEL.

@emes ot this patent :may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissoner of Patenta,

Washington, D. G.

